Manchester City vs Leicester City. EPL (week 25)

Leicester City and Manchester City are facing each other to play another league game… Some would say, they are meeting to decide who is getting the EPL champions’ title. Others think, that this is a regular middle-day match to watch. Actually, neither of these assumptions is true. The game between the first and the second teams of the league can never be considered as an ordinary one… At the same time, taking into account the high competition in the league, the week 25 match is unlikely to decide EPL’s destiny. However, the game is promising to be a real sports battle. And here is what this assumption is based on.

Team

P

W

D

L

Goals

Last 5 games

Pts

1

Leicester City

24

14

8

2

44:26

D_W_D_W_W

50

2

Manchester City

24

14

5

5

46:23

W_D_W_D_W

47

The teams do not only lead the best league in the world (arguably), but also show VERY similar results. Having gone through 24 games, they have the same number of victories and have scored and conceded similar amount of goals. Moreover, both of the teams share similar destiny for last 5 games.

The first leg match was another equal game (0-0). Although the personal technical skills of Manchester City players helped them be more aggressive while attacking, the statistics shows that the main battle was in the central part of the field (46% of the time the ball was in the middle of the field). Moreover, the attacking trio Mahrez-Vardy-Okazaki proved their high quality level throughout the season, and no one now can be 100% sure which team’s attackers are better.

There are a lot of proves of the equality of the teams… So, make sure not to miss the English “clash of the titans”.

Everything else you should know about the teams: what’s new? What’s interesting?

It is maybe the last time Manuel Pellegrini is facing Leicester City. Josep Guardiola is officially set to take the Manchester City lead from the next season.

Sergio Aguero is named Player of the Month for January.

Manchester City are undefeated in their last 9 games against Leicester in all competitions.

Neither Manchester City nor Leicester City are not relying much on ball possession (55% vs 44%), their key to success is counter-attacking.

Leicester have kept a clean sheet in 5 out of last 6 matches in EPL.

Leicester are undefeated in 14 of their last 15 away matches in EPL.

Referee matters. In equal games like this, an episode may define the game. So, who is judging over the destinies of those episodes?